“On the Discursive Construction of Identities and Community in Reform Contexts. Contrastive Análisis of Resources Afforded Students Pre and Post Reform Implementation”

GREEN, JUDITH; HERAS MONNER SANS, ANA INÉS

Ensenada, Baja California, México

Congreso; Discourse, Identity, and Educational Practices. Ensenada, University of Baja California. April 17, 2008.; 2008

Universidad de Baja California, México

In this chapter, we (re)examine (Dixon et al, 2000), and expand our analysis of a shift in educational reform initiatives, from Bilingual Education to English Only.  Our goal is two-fold: 1) to explore further how the actions of actors inside and outside of the classroom were shaped by, and shaped the opportunities for learning and in turn, identities constructed by students and their teacher alike, and 2) to demonstrate the multiple levels of analytic scale needed to trace the roots and consequences of changes in opportunities for learning and for identity construction in the period (1993-1998) prior to and following a mandated change (1998-2000) in educational approach at the state and district level.  Through these analyses, we make visible the range of actors and actions across levels of social, political and educational systems that led to the narrowing of opportunities for constructing knowledge and identities at the classroom, and individual-within-the classroom, levels.  To make visible the impact of this shift, or rather, (re)formulation of what counted as a valued educational approach, we draw on records and data in a 10-year ethnographic archive for 5th – 6th grade classes taught by BY, a nationally recognized teacher with a bilingual education credential and a history of teacher research.  By holding the teacher and her fifth grade classes (1993 to 2000) constant, we create a ground for exploring further the roots and consequences of changing educational initiatives.  The (re)analysis uses a double case studies design that is anchored by a by the first day of school in September in 1998. This moment in time constitutes rich point (Agar, 1994) from which we move outward from the classroom to explore the actors and actions beyond the classroom door that converged (Case Study 1) to support and constrain what was possible to know, do, and be inside of the classroom (Case Study 2) across different reform initiatives.